As a fan of literal "literary" titles, I was excited to read this, but found myself struggling to finish. It started slow, I found the main character to be very annoying, and although I'm somewhat of a closet Kennedy fan, it wasn't what I was hoping it would be.

Being a writer is far less glamorous then it seems. There is so much blood, sweat and tears that goes into writing and creating something that publishers will want to publish. James has been putting all his efforts into writing and finally is being recognized for his talents. He is picked up by an editor non other then Jackie Onassis. She is drawn to the dysfunctional family drama. The job of an editor is to push the author to write an authentic ending to his memoir. a beautifully riveting tale of the relationship between writer and editor.

To write an autobiographical novel entails a great deal of risk. Because people know you are writing about your own life--fictionalized--inevitably bringing emotional turmoil into the lives of those people. And perhaps that is why James Smale can't bring his novel to a satisfying end--he is reluctant to go the distance because of the high costs.

Smale's editor believes in him, in his novel, and in the story he has yet to tell. He can't tell it yet, because he hasn't lived it. And his editor presses him to do the work.

Oh, Smale's editor at Doubleday is Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis. It makes things very complicated. Does he call her Mrs. Onassis? Jackie? Are they friends or coworkers or is she his boss or does she work for him? Everyone wants a part of her, all his friends are more interested in the minutia of her life than they are in his book.

As Smale agonizes over his manuscript and his relationship with his mother and the father who left her "because of" him, his relationship with his beloved Daniel comes under strain. Do they have a love for all time?

Everything Smale believed he knew comes crashing down at a family Thanksgiving gathering when his mother shares a secret.

The beginning of The Editor revolves around Smale's coming to grips with his discovery and the shock of being discovered by one of the most famous women in the world. As a mother, she is deeply interested in his book. As an editor, she pushes him into uncomfortable territory. And the novel takes a turn from the comic into the universal theme of a child trying to process their childhood and relationships with parents. The search for the mother, in Smale's case, becomes a discovery of the father.

Rowley's novel has already been signed to be a movie!

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I received a digital ARC of The Editor by Steven Rowley from the publisher (Putnam) in exchange for an honest review. The Editor is scheduled for release April 2, 2019.

The Editor is actually about a writer. As the novel opens, James is walking toward a meeting with an editor that has expressed interest in his novel. James’ agent didn’t tell him the name of this editor, so James is more than a little surprised to find that his meeting is with Jackie Kennedy. Well, Jacqueline Onassis.

Despite this novel being titled for the editor, and the famous name of his editor, the story really revolves around James’ relationship with his mother. James’ novel is very much autobiographical fiction, and reveals more about his relationship with his mother and the path they need to walk together than either James or his mother are comfortable with.

I enjoyed James as a character. Rowley does a great job of showing different views of James through his interactions with other characters. James is a very different man with Jackie than he is with his mother, or his partner, or his editor’s assistant. Each variation of James reveals an aspect of his character that come together to realistically portray him as a whole human.

Through James’ eyes, we also get a relatively clear picture of the people around him. The odd exception to this is James’ mother. James states that he wrote his novel about his mother because she is the most interesting person he knows. As a reader, I didn’t get to spend enough time with her to see her the way James does. At the end of the novel, James’ mother was still an unknown entity to me.

I do feel that Rowley may have included too much in this novel. While James is the main character, and we are following his journey, we are also presented with two additional stories. The prologue to the novel is the start of James’ novel (The Quarantine). While this is the only direct snippet we get, there are lots of references throughout, as James and Jackie work on revisions in preparation for publication. I found this novel within a novel a bit distracting, honestly. It sounded interesting enough that I found myself wanting to set aside The Editor to read the non-existent The Quarantine.

The other distraction was the title character. Jackie’s role in the story is to act as a catalyst to jump start James down his path. Given that I am already a bit obsessed with anything related to the Kennedy’s, this catalyst character also pulled me from the main story of the novel. I didn’t know that Jackie worked in publishing. There were other tidbits about her life that were unknown to me as well. Again, I found myself tempted to set aside The Editor to go read about Jackie’s life after being a first lady.

While I did enjoy this novel overall, it did suffer a bit from too many dishes on the plate syndrome. The side dishes pulled my attention, keeping the main dish from being the star it deserved to be.

This book, just like Steven's first book Lily and the Octopus, was just such a gem. The writing was so beautiful, honest, poignant, funny and really got to the heart of a relationship between mother and son. I had no idea that Jackie Onassis worked as a book editor later on in her life, so that aspect of the book was so fascinating to me. I can't even imagine how it would feel to be publishing your first novel and for Jackie O to be your editor. The relationship between James and Jackie was so heart warming, I could not get enough of it. Highly recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam Books for the ARC.

What an annoying main character! I wanted to slap him. That said, I can see how his overwrought nervousness would appeal to some readers. To have Jackie O as one's editor would cow most of us. Pressing onward to try to finish the book.

It had a kind of slow start, ebbbing and flowing a little bit but, I think the author's intention with the narrator was to remind you of an interview that somebody was having about a time in their life .Nonetheless it was a good read.

I remember when it was announced that Jackie Onassis was to be an editor with Doubleday. I can still picture the black and white photo of her with pen in hand and stacks of books surrounding her. The premise for The Editor is fabulous for those who love the book world and I am surprised it has not been touched on before. The intimidation the author working with her and the industry itself feels is relatable. There are moments where scenes can drag a bit but push on as the resolutions are satisfying (no spoilers here) and I love how he never becomes jaded.

What a delightful read. Not only did it make me laugh out loud at times, it also brought me to tears. Highly recommended.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Netgalley for letting me read this for an honest review!

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get through this. I made it to about 40% of the way through the eBook, and I had to stop. It wasn’t keeping my interest, and I never found myself wanting to pick it up. I really wanted to like this one! I’ve read great reviews, but it just wasn’t for me.

The characters didn’t strike me as interesting. I wasn’t enjoying the storyline. I guess I expected so much more from this.

The writing wasn’t bad at all, and if I ever got my hands on Rowley’s other book, Lily and the Octopus, I would definitely give it a shot! I’m giving this a one star on Netgalley, because I do have to give it a rating.

This poignant tale about a struggling writer and his relationship with his publisher Jackie Onassis. In fact, it is a wonderful story about relationships with family and the courage to confront the past.

3.5 stars.

I read and really loved Rowley's previous book, Lily and the Octopus, so I was looking forward to reading this. I know some people are big fans of Jackie Onassis but I knew very little about her and wasn't sure this book would be interesting enough. In fact, I had no idea she's been an editor for many years, so I wasn't sure if the author had made up that premise. Apparently, he did not.

While some of the color added by the Jackie bits were fun, to me, what made the book enjoyable was the story under the story (always) and in this case it's about the relationship between the main character and his mom. It's about family, connection, belonging.

"But I struggled my whole life with identity. To know who I really was. Why I didn't feel connected. Why I never truly fit in, And all this time you had the answer! You could have saved me when I was spiraling and you didn't."

My mother nods, and it's a long time before she speaks. "It breaks my heart to hear you say that. From the day you were born, you've always been more yourself than anyone I've ever met. I guess I felt deep down you didn't need to know anyone else in order to know who you are."

So much of this resonated with me. Both the feeling of lack of belonging and lack of identity and the feeling of being so much myself. I feel like both of those things can be true at the same time.

This book is quiet. It's slow. There are a few big things that happen but it's really not even about those things in the end. This is not a "let me read and see what happens" book. It's a book where if you connect with the characters, you like it and if not, you might not.

I really liked it.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a preview copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every now and then I choose a title outside of genres I'm typically drawn to, and this is one of those books. Having not read the beloved "Lily and the Octopus," Rowley was a new author to me...and what a triumph! NetGalley's own description of the "The Editor" as "a funny, poignant, and highly original novel" only scratches at the surface as to how brilliant this book is.

Through my own reading of it, I felt it isn't so much a story about growth as it is a story about identity and, most importantly, forgiveness. This is one of those gems that I can't wait to be published (April 2, 2019) so I can discuss it with fellow readers.

Brilliant writing, interesting story, funny...and I mean, come on, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis! :)

I gave this book a 5/5 on Goodreads.

James Smale is a writer in 1990s NYC. Little does he know that his editor will turn out to be Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who was drawn to James’ manuscript about his struggling relationship with his mother.

As the story unfolds, we see a relationship blossom between James and Jackie. Jackie becomes a guiding force who encourages James to dig deeper - to give more depth to his mother. In doing so, James must confront his relationship with his mother, who disapproves of the novel.

It was so fun to read about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (even fictionalized...is that a word?). I didn’t have a relationship with my mother, but if I did, I’d want her to be Stephen Rowley's version of Jackie.

With a refreshing sense of humor, a really cool and original plot (though a bit wordy at times), and an ending so satisfying, I cannot wait until this becomes available for purchase on April 2 so I can recommend!

First of all, I have to say I'm pretty disappointed in myself that I never knew Jackie O. worked in publishing in her later years. BUT I'm so glad this book brought it to my attention and gave me the chance to dive deep into her career, even if it is a fictional account. In any event, this is a wonderful book. Very different than Steven Rowley's Lily and the Octopus, but Rowley's voice still shines through and so, if you enjoyed the writing in his first novel, there's a strong chance you'll like this one, too.

The book follows writer James Smale in the 1990s. After a lot of hard work, his novel has finally been picked up by a publishing house... And his editor just happens to be Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Much of the remainder of the book focuses on the editing process of the book. It's a novel, but also pretty autobiographical and James is struggling with his relationship with his mother, how she feels about the book, and how he can end the book in a meaningful way. If you've ever written or tried writing a book, you can probably relate on some level with dealing with how your loved ones react to it.

It's not the most action-packed book, but it moves along nicely and is the kind of novel you'll want to keep reading. I've never had a particular interest in Jackie O. but after reading The Editor, I have a great appreciation for her (completely aside from the fact she was married to JFK). But mostly.... I really want to read James Smale's book now!

I enjoyed the setting and thought this was a fun take on Jackie Kennedy! If you liked Rowley's previous book, you'll love this one.

Wonderful engaging a young author the fabulous luck of having Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as his editor.Their relationship warm fun a book you won’t forget.#netgalley #theeditor #putnam.

This book was really hard to read. It caught my attention with who the editor was, but lost it just as quickly.

Fresh, wry and engaging! This story was a fun glimpse into what it may have been like to be one of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' authors, when she worked as a literary book editor in the last third of her life. Steven Rowley writes a fast moving, humorous, page turner with a clever perspective. Enjoyed.

This novel delivered it all for me:
. . . . it pulled me in from the first chapter and kept its narrative tension until the end;
. . . . it was sensitive, but not sappy;
. . . . it had wisdom, but also wit,
. . . . but, most of all it left me with things to think about And, that is what I appreciate in a book.

The relationships in THE EDITOR are all a little bit messy, and I appreciated it for that. They weren't overly dramatized but they made me squirm--just like my "real" family, or my "real" colleagues from work. I appreciated the fact that even though the situations in the book were over-the-top, they were still things I could identify with enough that I started thinking about my family and how it functioned. Or didn't.

What a gift from a book. I loved the story for itself, mainly because I enjoy reading about the creative process and how different people struggle with it. But, it was the relationships that were at the heart of this book and Steven Rowley gets them right. There is love at the center of it all, but there is also hurt at times, and the hard work of forgiving. I appreciated the opportunity to think about all this.

NetGalley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.